Portable feeding trough



.H TG m T H m mm E mm mm Rm P.

mm L WSUF Filed Aug. 5, 1948 Roberi C. Engelhaupf INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 2 1, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT ornce PORTABLE FEEDING TROUGH Robert C. Engelhaupt, Bonesteel, S. Dak.

Application August 5, 1948, Serial No. 42,603

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a feeding device or trough for animals and has for its primary object to render more convenient and efficient the task of feeding and watering stock.

Another important object of this invention is to provide new and useful improvements in feeding troughs so that a more efiicient feeding program can be inaugurated and beneficial results in the feeding of stock can be realized both by way of a reduction in time and labor expended by a farmer and by way of a more content and satisfied stock.

In carrying out the above general aims and. objects, meritorious structural features have been employed, such as, a pair of inwardly and out-.-

wardly bowed or spread standards carrying wheels at one end and serving to support one end of a feed trough and to mount a filling tank or hopper above the feed trough. Other meritorious features reside in the provision of an apertured distributing pipe system connected to a filling tank and disposed in the feeding trough so that the entire feeding trough is constantly filled with semiliquid feed, such as milk, buttermilk, mush or the like.

These and ancillary objects and other meritorious features become more clearly apparent upon a perusal of the following specification; are attained by this invention, a preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a, view in perspective of this invention, and;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of one end of this invention illustrating the means provided for importing portability to the invention.

In the art of husbandry, it has been the practice to enclose certain stock, such as pigs, hogs or the like, in enclosures, commonly referred to as pens or sties. Disposed in the enclosures are feeding and watering troughs, which are convenient for use by the feeding animals but are burdensome for a farmer. In this respect, it is necessary for the farmer to physically or mechanically transport from a source point to the trough an appreciable amount of semi-liquid feed, such as buttermilk or sweetmilk, the attendant conveying of the feed necessitating a considerable expenditure of time and labor. To obviate this outstanding defect in the field of husbandry is the primary purpose of the instant invention. This is accomplished by providing a mobile feeding device, which includes a feeding trough easily accessible for use by the stock and a regulated and controlled supply tank and filling system mounted on and carried unitarily by the feeding trough.

'As can be appreciated, repetitious transporting of feed from a supply source to a fixed feeding troughis obviated, since the feed trough carries its own supply source from point to point. And yet, the necessity of providing a separate feeding trough for each enclosure, various specie and types of stock being maintained in separate enclosures, is rendered obsolete, since the instant invention by the virtue of its portability, is easily and conveniently moved from enclosure to enclosure thereby enabling the entire stock to feed from the same trough. Not only does this result in a savings in time prior to and during the feeding program but also it is to be noted that only one trough needs to be cleaned and maintained in proper condition.

Paralleling the main purpose of this invention, as noted above, this invention insures a better fed stock, functioning to prevent over-feeding, which is vital in the welfare of calves, due to the control and regulation means provided in the even distribution of the semi-liquid substance.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings, a conventional feeding trough IE3 is provided and may be formed from any suitable material, such as sheet metal, wood and the like. The feeding trough may assume any desired size or shape, the only requisite being that the same should be of sufficient length to accommodate at its sides a number of animals. In this respect, the feeding trough is preferably of a length in excess of The depth of the trough should be comparatively shallow so that the interior of the trough can be conveniently reached by the stock, without injury being imparted to the stock. As depicted, the feeding trough is of a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape having a curved bottom wall and opposed side walls. The ends of the trough are closed by a circular end wall l2 disposed at one end and a similar end wall I 3 disposed at the opposite end. The end wall It constitutes the front of the trough, while the end wall [2 is disposed at the rear end of the trough. The opposed end walls l2 and M are preferably circular and are secured to the ends of the trough. Circular rings or hoops I6 and [8 are secured to the ends of the trough It to diametrically reinforce the same. A pair of opposed standards. or supporting legs or bars 2'] and 22 are bowed or spread outwardly as at 24 and 26 to engage and fit snugly on the outer periphery of the hoop I8, as seen in Figure 2. The standards are riveted as at 28 or otherwise conventionally secured to the hoop. It is to be noted that the outwardly bowed portions 24 and 26 of the standards are inclined or curved inwardly as at 30 and 32 so that the trough in eifect seats on the standards at one end and is supported thereby. The standards are extended upwardly in opposed vertical fashion and terminate in parallel ends 34 and 35 which serve to supporta supply tank or hopper 38 having a lid 39, Conventional securing or attaching means, such as rivets 40 are employed for mounting the tank between the standard ends as seen in Figure 2. The lower portions of the standards are extended outwardly from the-sup-v porting portions 30 and 32 and terminate in parallel substantially straight ends 42' and 44.

The lower ends 42 and 44 of thesstandardsareapertured to receive a pair of axles 4E and 4B, which serve to rotatably mount the wheels and 52 to the standards. Of course, conventional journal bearings 54*are employed'to space the wheels from the ends of the standards.-

The rear end of the trough is spaced-from-the ground andsupported in a; similar horizontal plane with the front'endby means of the standaids or legs 55 and 58: The standards 55- and 58 are inwardly bowed asat 60; so that theendof the trough rests on and is supported by the Rivets 62 arecurved portionof the standards. employed to secure the upperends ofthe standards on the opposed sides of the endring H5.

The lower ends of the standards terminate in parallel fashion and have laterally-extending stop-plates- 64 aneLBB which function toprevent the penetration of the-legs-5fi and-52linto-the ground, so that the trough isat-all-times maintained ina level-horisontalposition.- The-par ticular length-of the standards -isnot considered: important other than it is materialthat-they:

beof'a sufiicient length to space the trough considerably above a the ground to prevent poultry andsmaller animals from having 'access to and which is actuated and controlled bya rotatable A distributing system, l4, is operatively associatedwith the opposite end'of the T-coupling l0 and-conducts-a semi-liquid?- handle or wheel 12.

feed j from the tank to the trough; The distributing system 14 comprises-a transverse pipe section 16, having an upstanding connection 78-; which is received in a coupling): At each end of the transverse section 16 is an elongated distributing pipe 80 and 82. Thepipes-BO and-'82 are longitudinally disposed in the trough; adjacent the longitudinal side edges thereof-and spaced a short distance below the side edges.- The pipes 30 and 82 are disposed throughthe end wall l2 and extend outwardly-therefrom terminating in handles 84 and 85-which are exteriorly threaded to receive drain caps-88 and 90. A plurality of longitudinally'spaced downwardly disposed apertures 92 are provided so that thesemi-liquid substance is evenly distributed throughout the length of the trough This of course, insures an equal feeding of thestock disposed along the length of the trough. To further aid this purpose, a plurality of transverse partition rods 94 are disposed in longitudinal spacement in the trough end wall,

To drain the trough for cleaning purposes or the like, a drain valve 96 depends from the bottom of the trough and is actuated by a handle 98, as is conventional.

To enable the farmer or stockman to provide minerals, such as salt or the like or similar substances to the stock, a mineral retaining pan I0!) is laterally supported at the rear end of the troughandismounted on a bracebar [02. The brace-bar I02 is secured to-a transverse slot or bar I04, so that the pan is maintained in a horizontal position projecting rearwardly from the rear portion of the trough.

It-canbeseen that the device is easily moved frornpoint to point, along the feeding line, by

grasping the handle extensions 84 and 86 and lifting; the standards 56 and 58 out of ground engagement, with the device being moved by the wheelsfifland 52. Of course, during the movement of the device, thecontrol valve for the tank will: retainthe heating. substance. in the tank and thus avoid 1 any; splashing and subse: quent wasting-of :the feed disposed inithe, trough.-

However, since many. other. modifications and purposes of this invention will becomev readily apparent to. those. skilled in the art. upon 31.1 .31:- usal of the. foregoing:v description, it.is.' to be. understood that certain changes ,in style, size and; components may be effected without a departure from thespirit of the, invention and .within, the scope of the appended-tclaims;

Having described the invention, What: is, claimed-as newis;

1. A. feeding trouglr icomprising; an elongated U-shaped body, opposed *end ;walls;,on sai,dbody,, opposed standards, mediallysecured to the body; adjacent one of .thegend. walls; wheels j ournalled on the lowerends of the standards; a filling,tank. mounted'between the. upper ends of the stande ards, perforatedpipes connectedat one endto; said, tank and: longitudinally disposed in said body,- the other'ends. of 'saidpipesbeing extended through one. of the: end walls, drain caps..de.. tachably securedwonthe ,extendedends of said.

-- pipes and means for draining said body.

2.,An. animal, feeding; device; comprising. a trough having end walls opposed: standards. medially secured to saidtrough .adjacentone of; said walls,. wheels rotatably journaled on the; lower ends of said standards ,a1,liquid;reservoir. mounted .between the, upper ends. of the stand: ards and disposed above the trough; perforated pipes-connected atone. of. their ends to said reservoir, valve means associated with saidpipes, the pipes. being disposed-5longitudinally in the trough adjacent the. upper open end thereof and; extending beyondstheother end wall,. said,extendingendsof the pipesbeing closed? and vertically dependingv legssecured to thelast named a ROBERT C11 ,ENGELHAUPT:

REFERENCESOITED The followingrreferences. are of,.record in the,-

file of this .patent;

'I DR TES; PATEN S Number Name Date 7 198,564- Bryan Dec.-25 1877; 577,699 Weaveret al. Feb'. 23;;1897" 1,086,513 Clarke Feb. 10,1914 1,340,085 Siebr-ing- May 11, 1920* 1,522,084 Swearingen- Jan; 6,1925 1,816,684 Liechty; July 28, 1931 1,896,615 Gibbs Feb; 7,;1933' Granville Jul 14,- 1942 

